Weekly U.S. rail traffic shows 4% drop

Those year-end, 52-week figures show a total volume of 25,564,430 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.5% increase over 2024. The 11,508,797 carloads for the year and 14,055,633 intermodal units were also 1.5% increases over the preceding year.

For the year, seven of 10 carload types finished ahead of 2024 led by grain, 5.2%, and coal, 3.1%. Motor vehicles and parts ended narrowly ahead at 0.7%. The biggest decliners were forest products, 1.6%, metallic ores and metals, 1%, and petroleum and petroleum products, 1.6%.  

North American traffic for the week, as reported by nine reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, was 557,552 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.9% from the corresponding week a year ago. That includes 279,924 carloads, down 2.9%, and 277,628 intermodal units, down 4.9%. The year-end volume for North America was 35,187,052 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.4% increase over 2024.

Canadian volume for the week included 78,588 carloads, down 2.3% from the corresponding week a year ago, and 55,805 intermodal units, down 9.7%. The final 2025 traffic in Canada was 8,387,041 carloads and intermodal  units, up 2% from 2024. In Mexico, the week’s traffic included 8,671 carloads, down 10.7%, and 10,195 intermodal units, up 43.1%. The year-end total for Mexico was 1,235,581 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.5% from 2024.

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